The Good Life

Timon Cline is a lawyer and historian in New Jersey who specializes in the history of Puritan New England. We've heard a lot about the religious life of the time, but we don't know nearly so much about their laws and society. Today we talk about misconceptions of Puritanism, their influences, and how they were closer in many ways to Medieval society than we imagine.  Timon Cline's essays Three Che...

Can you honor your country when the leaders are wicked? The last story in I Samuel gives us some clues as to how to honor the memory of those who formerly were righteous but turned away.  

There have been several institutional victories recently for conservatives: the Supreme Court, the PCA, and the CRC all have made good choices in the last few weeks, some quite unexpected. Part of the reason this is so unexpected is that Americans have a tendency to leave institutions rather than remaining within and fighting and working to change course. In this podcast, I talk about our history...

Miles is a history professor at Hillsdale College. Originally from North Carolina, he now resides in Michigan. He has written for First Things, The American Conservative, Ad Fontes Journal, and American Reformer. In this episode, we talk about how history is an expanding subject, how to distinguish real history from conspiracy theories, the difference between preaching Scripture and teaching histo...

Michael Sacasas is the head of a Christian Study Center in Gainsville, Florida. He has written on the role of technology through the lens of writers like Hannah Arendt, Jacques Ellul, and Ivan Illich. Today we talk about why it's hard to define technology, the dangers of mechanistic thinking, and how limits help us pursue a good life.  The Convivial Society (Michael's Newsletter) The Human Conditi...

Recently I preached on magic from Leviticus 19 and 20. There was much more material than I could talk about and quite a few questions. This is my first podcast that's not an interview. Today I talk about the relationship between magic and nature, how our modern view of magic is quite new, and how the Reformation helped unite the church against the spread of dark magic.  I'd love to hear from you i...

Who is the only writer who makes Queen Elizabeth laugh out loud when she reads him? The answer is James Herriot, (his actual name is Alfred Wight). His books, beginning with All Creatures Great and Small, are funny, interesting, and reveal a slower way of life from a bygone era. He was a practicing vet from 1939 to 1996 in the Yorkshire region of the U.K. Masterpiece Theater recently turned his no...

I'm joined by Dr. Michael Connolly, a history professor at Purdue University Northwest. He has written several articles about the best political perspective you've probably never heard about - Toryism. Most Americans only think of Toryism as a British idea, but it's much deeper than that. Far from being an ideology and bearing little similarity to the modern British political party of the same nam...

Today I spoke with my daughter, Phoebe, about kids and young adult literature. We discuss some books we've read as a family and she talks about books she enjoys. We talk about books for boys, girls, and what makes for a good story.  Books we discuss in this episode: The Mysterious Benedict Society - Trenton Lee Stewart Mr. Pipes and the British Hymn Makers - Douglas Bond Mr. Pipes and Psalms and H...

Charles McRaven is quite literally a jack-of-all-trades. He is a carpenter, blacksmith, pastor, home builder, stonemason, architect, writer, and teacher. He restored his first log cabin when he was eleven years old. In this episode, we discuss what it means to build beautifully, how stonemasonry teaches patience, and why we should see ourselves as students of the land on which we live. If you love...

Lars Walker is a librarian, historian, Viking reenactor, and writer. His fiction is outstanding. He has written a series of historical fiction about the Christian Viking ruler Erling Skjalgsson. There are four books in the series and they are all excellent, although not for kids (Vikings really were brutal). He has also written a modern dystopian fiction series based in a small Minnesota town (the...

Dr. Greg Peters is an Anglican priest, professor at Biola University, and instructor at Nashotah House, an Anglican seminary in Wisconsin. He is a Protestant expert in the history of monasticism. Why would a Protestant study such things? There's more for us to learn than you might expect. In this episode we discuss the history as well as the different types of monasteries, what the Reformation fat...

Today I am interviewing Dean Abbot. He is an author, former college professor, and mentor to men across the country. He has written a couple of books, On Character and Community, and Common Good: Reflections on Everyday Vices and Virtues, the latter of which is the focus of this podcast. We talk about why philosophy is a benefit to everyone (not just philosophers), the difference between vice and...

Today's interview was with an author whom I've admired for some time - Dr. Christopher M. Dunca. Dr. Duncan teaches political philosophy at St. Louis University and has written about some of my favorite groups: the Anti-Federalists and the Southern Agrarians. If you appreciate the ideals of community, family, and small government, this podcast is for you. We discuss all of the above, plus Dr. Dunc...

Brandon Meeks is a delightful writer, speaker, and theologian. He serves as a theologian in residence for his Anglican parish in Arkansas. He has written several books and has a substack newsletter that gives a good taste of his abilities. In this podcast, we discuss how he went from an Independent Baptist to an Anglican, the importance of honoring our spiritual fathers, and why Reformed ministers...

While many love C.S. Lewis's Narnia Chronicles, they often neglect his lesser-known fiction, the Ransom trilogy. These books, in addition to being excellent storytelling, reflect a supernatural view of the cosmos. One of the reasons they are neglected is because they are denser and require more careful reading than the Narnia stories. That's where Christiana Hale comes to our rescue. She has writt...

Have you ever wondered what made C. S. Lewis such a strong Christian? That exact question stirred Dr. Lyle Dorsett years ago. In researching the spiritual life of the great author, Dr. Dorsett came to lead the Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College, which houses the largest number of C. S. Lewis artifacts in the U.S. His book on Lewis, Seeking the Secret Place, is a discussion of how Lewis grew...

I interview Coach Grant Teaff, a former head football coach at Baylor University. Coach Teaff is a faithful Christian and has written several books on teaching character to young adults. He is a great storyteller and is currently working with his daughter to compile various speeches and lectures through the years into a podcast.  Books by Coach Teaff A Coach's Influence - Beyond the Game Coaching...

In this episode I talk with Father Daniel French, a priest in the Church of England. In addition to his role as a shepherd, he is working with others both in the U.S. and the U.K. on an underground catechism for the church, a book that addresses how Christians from various backgrounds should think about basic moral issues like transhumanism, hierarchy, sexual confusion, abortion, and euthanasia. ...

In this episode I interview Tara Ann Thieke, a wife, mom, and writer. We discuss children's literature, guiding our children in the world of technology, and how to sustain a hopeful spirit as parents in the midst of a dark world. Some of her articles are published below: Cats and Sixty-foot Whales - Reflections on Children's Literature How Segregating Kids By Age Led To Youth Culture And Fueled Fa...

In this episode I interview Tara Ann Thieke, a wife, mom, and writer. We discuss children's literature, guiding our children in the world of technology, and how to sustain a hopeful spirit as parents in the midst of a dark world. Some of her articles are published below: Cats and Sixty-foot Whales - Reflections on Children's Literature How Segregating Kids By Age Led To Youth Culture And Fueled Fa...

Today I interview Brad Littlejohn, the president of the Davenant Institute and Senior Fellow of the Edmund Burke Foundation . Brad is a trained historian and focuses on the English Reformation and one of the greatest Anglican theologians, Richard Hooker. In this episode we discuss the English Reformation, Puritanism, and how Hooker tried to steer the church in the midst of turmoil. Then we conside...

Rod Olps is a retired businessman who mentors men and businesses through periods of transition. Years ago he read a book titled The Seasons of a Man's Life by Daniel Levinson. He discovered biblical principles which corresponded with the teachings of that book and began applying those principles to men of various ages in his counseling. In our discussion today we talk about the different seasons a...

In this podcast I talk with Alastair Roberts. Alastair writes for Davenant Institute, Theopolis, Mere Orthodoxy, and has a blog, Alastair's Adversaria. We discuss baptism, interpreting Scripture, and what it means to grow in wisdom. 

Aaron Renn is a consultant, social critic, and creator of The Masculinist . This monthly newsletter about men, the church, and society that is some of the best commentary I've read. He recently expanded his presence through adding a podcast. In this episode we discuss masculinity in the church and the relationship of the world and the church.